This invention is generally related to catheters for insertion into a body cavity, duct or vessel, and more particularly to a tip or plug for a catheter. The catheter tip is constructed and arranged to form a seal on the end portion of the catheter tube, while a sleeve secured or formed integrally to the tip cooperates with the catheter tube to form a first balloon that encapsulates the tip of the catheter and a second balloon that positions the catheter within the body cavity, duct or vessel. For a better understanding of this invention, it will be described in connection with a urinary catheter, which is one area where this invention has commercial potential.
Urinary Catheters have been used for many years. A particularly well known urinary catheter is the Foley catheter. The Foley catheter includes a flexible tube made of latex and/or silicone material and has two internal lumens extending substantially parallel along the length of the tube. A balloon is positioned near the distal end of the tube for holding the catheter in position within the bladder of a patient. The catheter is positioned within the patient and fluid is introduced through one of the lumens to inflate the balloon to retain the catheter in the desired position. A drainage port or eye is located at the distal end of the catheter to allow the urine to pass through one of the lumens of the catheter tube for urine drainage purposes. However, the Foley catheter, like all other currently and commercially available catheters, suffers from the same or a similar drawback in that they have a tip that extends beyond the balloon. This tip often bears or scrapes against the liner of the bladder causing trauma to the bladder lining and is associated with numerous medical problems. A further problem relates to the position of the drain port(s) causing patient discomfort when the mucosal lining is drawn into the drain port(s). Some examples of the medical problems associated with the current catheter devices include discomfort, spasms and bleeding, as well as more serious drawbacks such as bacteria in the blood stream, e.g. Urosepsis and urinary tract infections.
Therefore what is needed in the art is a catheter tip that includes a first balloon positioned to encapsulate the tip of the catheter and a second balloon to position the catheter within the urinary tract. The first balloon should be constructed and arranged to cushion the catheter tip from traumatizing and irritating the internal wall of the cavity, duct or vessel. Moreover, the balloon should be connected to the tip so as to prevent the tip from moving relative to the balloon.